Waiting
by TracyT
Summary: Jack and Jacob in Sam's hospital room after "Death Knell."


Waiting

By Tracy

Summary: Jack and Jacob talk in the infirmary while waiting for Sam to wake up

Spoilers: Death Knell

Season: Seven

Pairing: Sam/Jack

Rating: K+

Disclaimer: MGM owes 'em and takes real good care of them. I'm just borrowing them for a little while. No profit was made on this or ever will be. It was a labor of love.

Jack quietly entered the infirmary, handed Jacob a cup of coffee, and joined him on the bench against the wall. He placed his own coffee on the floor next to him.

"How's she doing?" Jack's voice was low as he looked at Sam sleeping in the nearby bed.

"About the same. She hasn't moved at all since you left." Jack nodded, but didn't comment.

"Did I thank you for bringing her back to me?" Jacob asked, his eyes still on Sam.

"Not necessary."

"I was pretty worried there for a while, you know." Jacob looked at Jack intently.

"I know you were. We all were. I'm just glad she's going to be okay."

It was Jacob's turn to nod silently.

Just then the infirmary door was pushed quietly open and Lt. Graham Simmons entered carrying what looked like an old jelly jar filled with violets. Jack thought he had most likely gathered them just outside the entrance to the mountain. Graham tiptoed over near the bed and placed the jar on the nightstand. Then he reached over and gently squeezed Sam's wrist before starting to tiptoe out again.

Just then he noticed the two men sitting against the wall watching him and nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Colonel O'Neill! General Carter!" he sputtered.

"Lieutenant." Jack's voice was a little flat. Jacob just smiled.

"I was just...I wanted..." Simmons face had reached an alarming shade of red.

"I see that. Thank you, Lieutenant."

"Uh, yes, sir." With that Graham fled.

Jacob chuckled, looking into his coffee cup.

"It all started when she was thirteen, you know."

Jack was puzzled. "Started? What started?"

"Boys, calling the house."

"Ah."

"Up to that point I had always thought of Sam as my baby, my little angel, and suddenly she was growing up and boys were taking an interest in her. Boy, they were REALLY taking an interest in her."

"Understandable, Sam's a very attractive woman."

Jacob nodded. "Gets it from her mother. She was beautiful, too, inside and out. All I know is, she sure as hell doesn't get it from me. Got the brains from her mom, too."

Jacob was silent for a moment before continuing.

"Suddenly she was going on dates, and going to dances, and I had to buy her prom dresses, and I still thought of her as my baby. I kept telling myself she's growing up, this is natural, but I had a hard time with it."

Jack nodded.

"But you know, Sam was always good in school. It all came very easily to her. Poor Mark struggled through school, while Sammie brought home straight 'A's' nearly every quarter. The only time that changed was when her mother died. She took it very hard, you know. I wasn't around a lot, and Sam and her mom were very close. Anyway, her good grades caused some resentment on Mark's part, but he got over it eventually. Even teased her about being a 'brain' and all."

Jack nodded again, wondering where this was going.

"I knew one of her boyfriends was trouble the semester she got a 'C' in chemistry. I had a little talk with her about her priorities, and suddenly a new boy was calling the house, and thank God, he was on the honor roll just like Sam."

"That Jonas she was engaged to, I didn't like him at all. She told me I was just jealous, but I just got a bad feeling about him. I'd never tell her this, but I was relieved when she ended the engagement. Sam's reads people pretty well, but occasionally her radar's a bit off, I think."

Jack cleared his throat. "She's seeing someone new now, you know?"

Jacob nodded. "That Pete Shanahan."

/That Pete Shanahan?/ Jack thought. /Hardly a rousing endorsement./

"Have you met him?" Jacob asked.

Jack shook his head. "No, I haven't. What's he like?"

Jacob shrugged. "Nice enough guy. A cop from Denver. One of Mark's friends, I guess."

"You don't like him?"

"It's not that. I just don't get the impression he's going to last longer than about five minutes."

"Oh?"

"Sam and I talked a couple weeks ago, and she never mentioned him once until I brought him up. Now, you, she talks about all the time. Daniel, Teal'c, General Hammond, but this Pete was never mentioned until I asked about him."

Jack shrugged. "It's still kind of a new relationship, isn't it? Maybe she's just not comfortable discussing him with you yet."

Jacob grunted. "Maybe. But I don't think so."

Before Jack could respond, Jacob continued. "Sam's always had boyfriends, always had guys around interested in her, but now..."

"Now?" Jack prompted when Jacob remained silent.

"Lately I've been worrying that she'll end up alone."

Jack looked at Jacob in disbelief. "Now what would make you say that?"

Jacob shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I am as proud of Sam and what she's accomplished with her life and her career as any father could be, but I figured she'd be making me a grandfather again by now. Mark's already got two girls and they're growing up so fast."

"Jacob..."

"I know," Jacob held up a hand. "I shouldn't push, but I want her to have what her mother and I had. I want her to be happy."

"Jacob," Jack's voice was firm. "She's NOT going to end up alone. I guarantee it. Listen, there are about a hundred guys on this base alone in love with Sam and..."

"Are you one of them?" Jacob looked at Jack shrewdly.

Jack looked Jacob in they eye for a minute before breaking the gaze and making a thorough examination of the coffee cup he held. "Now, General, you know as well as I do that would be inappropriate." His voice was very quiet.

"I didn't ask if it was appropriate or not, I asked if you were in love with my daughter."

Jack was silent for a moment before replying. "She's a very valuable member of my team."

"Okay," Jacob sighed in frustration, and rose from his seat, grabbing his crutch from where it rested against the wall. "Fine, don't answer me, but I'll tell you something Jack, and you can take this to the bank. It's not how many men are interested in her, it's who she decides she loves and decides to let into her life, and she's damn stubborn about that. That's one thing she got from me. Now, THAT'S what worries me."

With that he hobbled out of the infirmary, leaving Jack gazing at the sleeping figure in the bed.

When Jacob came back later to say his good-byes, Sam was still sleeping peacefully, but Jack was gone. Then he noticed that the jar of violets was sharing the nightstand with one yellow rosebud.

Fin.


End file.
